Make The World Go Away

As a little boy I often heard Eddie Arnold sing “Make the World Go Away”.  Mom had the radio on when I was having breakfast, it was on in the car and on in the bus going to and from school.   That song was released in 1965 and became a top of the charts song so I heard it a lot.

As a kid that song resonated with me because I wanted the world to stop.  I just wanted all the pain and confusion to stop.  As a little boy of 6 or so, I might not have known why the Eddie wanted his world to stop.  I just wanted my world to STOP.

Today that song came to mind as I was praying for Linda and our entire family, as today marks a year since Nancy (mom Millsaps) went home to the Lord.  Today, I feel like little Bruce did 50 + years ago, when I sort of prayed, not to God because I didn’t know Him but to whoever, whatever could “Make the World to Go Away, and get it off my shoulders.”

As a man and as a Christ-follower I understand some things little Bruce didn’t.  Among many things:

·         I know that My God heard my prayer and was with me even though I didn’t know Him. (Luke 21:18)

·         I know He hurt for me and with me back then and now.  (Hebrews 4:15)

·         I know that God doesn’t generally remove the pain and suffering, but He does walk with us through the pain and suffering and He often carries us during the toughest times.  (Hebrews 13:5, In The Garden, not scripture yet it’s a hymn full of truth and again not scripture yet truthful, the poem “Footprints In The Sand”)

·         My prayers don’t have to be spoken all the time, because God hears the cry of the heart which sometimes doesn’t have words but He hears them just the same.  (Psalm 77:4)

·         Like the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:11 – 13.  I put away childish things, yet I only see in a mirror dimly, BUT, this I know: we have faith, hope and above all we have LOVE!

We have the love of our family and friends, and most of all we have the Love of God.  And He is “ok” with and understands old Bruce praying today, “Make the World Go Away, and get it off my/our shoulders.”

Call me childish, challenge my theology but I know this!  As I pulled that song up and played on repeat in the background praying for Linda, Jim, Bob, David, Jureen, Kadi and all the grandkids.  I knew this: My God understood and stepped into my family’s lives as their world keeps spinning.  He is walking with them, carrying them, comforting them and most of all He is THERE WITH THEM.  And though they might not be verbalizing it, at that deep heart level where they are wishing God would “Make The World Go Away” wishing mom was still here, wish they didn’t have to deal with this great lose, I KNOW THIS: God is there, all over that wish.

My prayers today might not be articulated well, my prayer may not be as scriptural as maybe they should be (after all, that song is not spiritual at all J)  but because my prayers are heartfelt, God hears them and will sort through them and answer them just the same. 

So, I am going to turn that song back on, let the tears flow and praise my God for being there for my bride and all of my family that are hurting today.  God might not “Make the World Go Away”.  But He sure will settle Himself around that wish in everyone’s heart and do what He does, BE THERE!

Make The World Go Away  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdWEbweX1rQ 

Happy to be Stuck

“I am happy to be stuck” Sounds crazy right? For many of us “being stuck” conjures up memories of frustration and/or embarrassment.

On the top of my list was the time I was driving a full sized van of youth sponsors home from a youth leaders retreat. It was 29 years ago but it’s still a vivid memory probably because I got a new name that night (you’ll have to ask.) The retreat was back in a wooded area off a dirt road. It had been rainy so the road was very muddy, an important fact. So, a caravan of vehicles are driving down this dark dirt road and I am in the middle. The ruts in the road were big so I was dodging them the best I could. I got over to the edge as much as possible to avoid a rut. What I didn’t realize was that the passing cars had sprayed mud up on the grasses growing in the ditch. Over time the mud weighed down the grasses and then additional layers of mud made the road look wider than it was. Needless to say the van went down to both axles. I was so stuck that only a tow truck could get me out. While we are all standing around the van wondering what we are going to do a bus pulls up and a youth pastor friend jumps out with a bunch of his guys. After a bunch of raving my friend got all the guys around the van and they literally pick it up and put it back on the road. I thought that was impossible but I saw it happen.

Isaiah 52:12 says, For you shall not go out with haste, Nor go by flight; For the Lord will go before you, And the God of Israel will be your rear guard. I can tell you first hand that though we don’t see Him or feel Him, He is there. God might not always keep us from getting stuck but he will always help us out of whatever mess we are in.

Being stuck in-between Him is a great place to be. Let life happen and bring what it does; ruts, muddy roads and even things not being what they seem like resulting in getting stuck. Look at life and say” bring it, cuz God is in front of me and He has my back”.

When I was a boy dad had a bobblehead doll on the dash of the car, it was quit entertaining for a little boy in the early sixties. I’m not sure which was my favorite; the classic Detroit Tigers Player held the top spot for a long time, vintage scooby doo was good, my friends catholic nun always got a laugh from me as a teen.

For my young friends here’s the definition of a bobblehead doll: A bobblehead is a type of collectible toy. Its head is often oversized compared to its body. Instead of a solid connection, its head is connected to the body by a spring or hook in such a way that a light tap will cause the head to bobble, hence the name.

I have discovered that bobbleheads are everywhere, especially in the church. Many Christ-followers bob their heads in agreement to the things being said but too often that’s the extent of their acting on the Word they just heard. James warns that this kind of reaction to God’s word will result in a life of instability and want. James 1:9.

Bobbleheads are fun on the dash of a car but not in the Church. James later said, But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned. James 5:12 ( NLT )

Let’s be simple people who say yes or no and mean it!

Who is the prodigal?

Luke 15 covers the story widely known as, “The Prodigal Son”. I started preaching about this passage a couple weeks ago and I stated that the father is the prodigal not the younger son or the elder son. That goes against conventional thinking, here’s the reason why I stated that.

The definition of Prodigal is:

Prodigal – adjective
1. Recklessly extravagant
2. Having spent everything

The word prodigal is a term that is associated with wastefulness and foolish spending, thus the younger son. We certainly know the father was neither wasteful nor foolish however, in the eyes of the Pharisees he was all that and more.

• It was foolish to them for the father to give the money to the younger son let alone take him back
• It was wasteful to give his money to such a disrespectful and arrogant brat
• It was reckless to trust such a fool of a son
• It was extravagant and way over the top to show so much grace to such and ungrateful son who deserved to be disowned
• The father spent all the respect and honor he once had with the community by giving so much mercy to both his sons

It’s a matter of perspective I suppose. We might be disgusted with the younger son but we can identify with him on some level. We have all taken advantage of God and by our actions shown we thought we were smarter than Him when we disregarded His advice and went our own way. The elder son might seem justified in his response but when we actually give it thought, we know he was out of line and a real disappointment to his father due to his self-righteous attitude of which we unfortunately identify as well.

What we can’t identify with is the father who spent everything he had; his money, his reputation, his pride, his name, his position, his family and his future on his wayward boys. The law, the social norms and his aching heart all told him enough is enough be done with them and yet he defied everything nd everyone with reckless extravagance and covered his younger son and pleaded with his elder to do what was right.

One could argue that the boys didn’t really know what they were doing; they lacked the wisdom years give to someone. That agreement could not be made for the father. He knew very well the risk he was taking and he took it anyway, he knew that it would cost him dearly and he did it anyway and he knew that it was probable that it wouldn’t end well and he did it anyway.

That is why, I call the father the prodigal.

God is NOT Ordinary

As I was meditating on this line in “Open Up the Sky” “We won’t be satisfied with anything ordinary”. I believe the Lord challenged me with these thoughts.

What is ordinary? Things familiar, things easily explained, easily understood, common.

Ordinary is lost in the busyness, and beauty of other things. Ordinary goes unseen, unnoticed, ordinary things can become irritants’.
Has God become ordinary? Has He been lost in the busyness of life? Has He been unseen and unnoticed?

You say “no”, yet you anticipate how He should act, speak and move. You have determined what is right and appropriate behavior for speaking on God’s behalf.
Let God’s prophets and priests be common so they and their words can be explained away. DON’T let them speak with authority, don’t let them offend or upset anyone, don’t let them call out sin or destructive behavior. No, no they must be ordinary, so that their God can seem ordinary. For an ordinary God can be ignored, an ordinary God can be relegated to a place that fits our lifestyle our wants and desires. After all an ordinary god is a god of our own making.

I AM is nothing near nor comparable at all to ordinary. He is all together Higher, Bigger, Wholly, and Holy different.

You think you know Him but at best you’ve seen His backside, in reality all you’ve seen or experienced is the hint of His fragrance as He passed by.
DO NOT settle for a hint of Him. Don’t you know a hint becomes tainted by those things around it; the wind, light and other influences. A hint of Him has become a stopping place for many. You claim to know a hint of Him. You can possibly explain that hint of Him, that makes Him ordinary. If you can make Him a part of your routine then you have settled for at best a hint of Him if not a counterfeit of Him.
God will not fit into your routine, God will not and cannot be explained, understood or ignored.

He is to BE experienced and known. He is gently kind and ruthlessly severe at the same time.He is lovely and terrible at the same time. He is many things but ordinary is not one of them.

Loose Reins and Companionship

Kindness is intended to bring us to repentance according to Romans 2:4-8. For months I have been drawn to this passage. It has become somewhat of a case study on people I am concerned about who are making a series of choices that are taking them away from God as well as a reflective look at my own experiences with God relative to repentance.

“Does kindness really work?” is the primary question that I have been pondering. Here are some non-scientific observations in no particular order:
• God’s kindness is often taken advantage of.
• God’s kindness is often taken for granted, much like a spoiled child expects
to have his own way, often making unhealthy choices, without any
consequences.
• God’s kindness can go unnoticed
• God’s kindness doesn’t seem to reach the rebellious, self-absorbed heart.
• God’s kindness only seems to lead those who have been broken.

My dad was a horseman and my sister followed in his footsteps. He trained quarter horses for racing. My sister simply loved horses. Both dad and Diana used similar techniques to train their horses. But there was a BIG difference in their demeanor toward the animal. Dad could be kind if he got complete compliance but if not he could be cruel. Diana, on the other hand, was always kind, even when correcting the animal’s bad behavior.

I was particularly impressed with Diana’s ability to go nose-to-nose with her horses, look them in the eye and gain control with a calm, soothing voice (kindness). My 110 pound sister would stand in front of this 1250 pound animal and control it with kindness. It was something to see.

It seems to me that many folks respond to disobedience like Dad, with violence and demands. Not only do many react to non-compliance with force, many expect to be lead by force. At least it seems like they only respond to force. Some people struggle with kindness; kindness is foreign to them.

From our text we know that judgment will come to the stubborn and they will be punished. But even that will be done, not from a mad, cruel God, but rather, from a kind, brokenhearted God who doesn’t want to punish, but who must.
My Dad’s goal was to control. My sister’s goal was friendship. She genuinely loved her horses, perhaps even to the point of preferring her relationship with them over most people.

That sounds crazy, right? Well I see it as a pretty good picture of how God treats us. God gives so much more to the relationship than we do, much like Diana caring for and providing for her horses. Yet, anyone who knew her knew she got so much from her animals. One might say her animals brought fulfillment to her life.
I don’t really understand it, but Jesus’ primary focus was and is to do everything possible to ensure that we have the best life ever, which can only come from a life lived in complete harmony with Father God.

One last note: Both Dad and Diana lead their horses by touch. Though their horses had bits in their mouths the bits weren’t intended to be used, much like the warnings of scripture for the disobedient. Bits and warnings are there to remind us that doing our own thing will have unpleasant consequences.

The horses were neck reined. Neck reining is when the reins are held loosely and when a turn is desired by the rider the reins would gently touch one side or the other of the horse’s neck and the horse would then turn in that direction. If stopping was desired a gentle tug on the reins was all that was required.
I don’t know about you, but I, for one, prefer the gentle leading of the Holy Spirit. Though I need and even deserve rough and forced treatment, rarely does God ever use the bit.

The bit is extreme in the hands of God. He hates to use the bit. When He must, it’s not with a smile, it’s with a heavy heart.

If we are primarily lead by force, then we need to be broken. We must once and for all put down our pride and selfishness and live for God according to His written Word. Until we follow Jesus’ example and say and mean, “Not my will, but Yours be done,” we will only feel the bit instead of the intended gentle touch or tug of kindness.

As with Diana’s horses, as long as we willingly live a broken life before God, it will be loose reins and companionship.

Ehausting Prayer

A few years ago my associate pastor responded to a call from a local hospital. An older teen had gotten into an automobile accident with his brother and was injured to the point of being brain dead. He was only alive due to life support. When he was removed from life support he died within a few minutes. The family was strong in their faith, believing that God could and would raise their son from the dead. They took him home and had an ongoing prayer meeting for approximately four days, right up until minutes before the funeral. God did not raise the boy from the dead.

Many questions arose from their decision to take their boy home. Legal questions about the hospital releasing the body, questions regarding laws concerning having a dead body in a private home, even ethical, moral and practical questions about having his younger elementary-aged siblings in the house while the brother was laid out in a room so people could come by and pray. Other questions arose as well, such as, would I go to such extremes if I were in their position. These questions and others were discussed at the time. The looming question for me was, “Do I really believe that God will raise people from the dead?” That question was continually examined in my heart of hearts.

Now the same question has resurfaced for me when I found out yesterday that the 22 year old son of our friends died suddenly and that they are holding some kind of prayer vigil for him. He died Wednesday and as of the writing of this blog they are still praying for God to raise him from the dead. Again, the questions flood my mind with the big one looming, “Do I believe that God will raise people from the dead?”

I can easily say, of course, I believe God can raise people from the dead. Just a few years ago I saw convincing video documentation of a man being raised from the dead in Africa. Also, my father had died and was gone for about ten minutes before he was brought back. It was in a hospital setting so it was call resuscitation. But, what I do know is that he died, we called a number of people to pray and he came back to life. Later that night he received Jesus as his Savior and was with us for three more days before he went on to be with Jesus.

This question goes much deeper than, “Do I believe God can?” The question is, “Do I believe He will?” I am convinced that a lot of people believe God can do anything. But, they don’t act upon that belief with confidence that He will. Rick Warren says, “We only believe in the Bible to the extent of what we do.” If I really believe that God will, then shouldn’t I pray differently?

I am asking God to raise my friends’ son from the dead, but am I praying with confidence? I wrestle with practical questions. When Jesus raised people from the dead it wasn’t a protracted event – He prayed and they arose. Should that be the way it is? If we pray and people aren’t raised then isn’t that a “no”? Does the effectual fervent prayer of James 5 kick in and if so, how does that apply to praying for a dead person. How long do you pray before having a funeral if the person isn’t raised?

Perhaps this raises a bigger question than whether or not God raises people from the dead. The question is, “How long should I pray before I accept the answer as ‘no’ and then move on?” I like the way The Message puts Ephesians 6:13: “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting, you’ll still be on your feet.” How do you know you have done everything you can, for as long as you should?

I know when Evie, our granddaughter stopped breathing and Cherie’ called, frantic for prayer, I stopped what I was doing and prayed with great intensity. God took care of Evie and she is a healthy two year old. I love the 22 year old young man whose death sparked this thinking again and have watched this boy grow into a wonderful young man. I am praying for his resurrection with the question, “How do I determine if what I am doing, if what his family is doing is enough?” I am not as emotionally motivated when praying for him as I was for Evie, does that matter?

I have drawn some conclusions about praying for him as well as praying for things that have huge ramifications, whatever way they are answered. I find myself leaning on the conclusions I had settled long ago. Yet, times like these make me wonder, have I done everything I can and should, for as long as I should? Is it time to stand or have I settled for a comfortable solution so I can say I prayed and can put it behind me?

I don’t write this to attempt to give you any answers; rather I write this to challenge you to ask yourself some hard questions to insure that you are standing on a sure foundation of faith. William Cary said, “Attempt great things for God. Expect great things from God.” I know that my friends’ actions are controversial. “Are you willing to stick your neck out for what you believe?” is another question worth pondering. It seems to me that my friends are attempting and expecting great things. I, for one, have already been affected by them doing all they can to stand.